This invention relates to eyeglasses, particularly eyeglasses designed to permit forward vision and also rearward vision (i.e. towards areas behind the person wearing the glasses).
Currently there is on the market an eyeglass product under the tradename NUBALOO. This product comprises two lenses having see-through mirror sections extending along their outboard edges. The person wearing the eyeglasses can direct his vision toward either one of the mirror sections in order to view spatial areas behind either one of his shoulders.
One problem with the NUBALOO glasses is that the person simultaneously sees two sets of images; i.e., images behind his shoulder and other images in the area in front of the person. This double images effect is due partly to the fact that the mirror sections are "see-through" sections formed by half silver mirror coatings.
Another problem with the NUBALOO glasses is the fact that the glasses include transparent lens sections that permit forward eye vision angularly across the frame central axis (i.e. across the person's nos). When the person attempts to use one eye to view a scene in one of the mirrors the other eye simultaneously sees another forward scene along an angulated sight line passing through the eyeglass central axis. The forward scene and rearward scene tend to merge into one another especially where the two scenes meet. As a result, the two scenes blend together, without a clear demarcation between the two scenes. The forward scene viewed by the person's other eye overlaps the rearward scene viewed by the one eye, such that the person is sometimes confused as to what he is seeing.
The present invention is directed to an eyeglass construction designed to overcome the above-noted deficiencies. In one of its forms the invention comprises two laterally-spaced lenses, each lens having a transparent section near the eyeglass central axis and an opaque mirror section located outboard from the associated transparent section. A mask structure is located in the central space between the two lenses, such that eye vision angularly across the eyeglass central axis is at least partially obstructed. The person can use one eye to view the associated opaque mirror section, with minimal interference from the other eye. The forward scene viewed by the other eye is separated from the rearward scene viewed by the one eye, such that there is demarcation zone between the two scenes.
FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a pair of eyeglasses embodying the invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 in FIG. 1
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3--3 in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged view taken in the same direction as FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is a view of the entire spectacle frame.